Hi Everyone:
I just joined this site and I need some help. I have an order for cookie favors for a morrocon themed shower. They want a heart shaped cookie covered in red icing and a monongram initial in gold.
How do you color your icing gold? I don't want to use the shimmer dust to sprinkle after I have piped the initial because I don't think it will give me a deep gold color and it might get on everything.
Also, can you share a good recipe for sugar cookies that hold their shape and taste good.
Thank you in advance for any ideas or suggestions.

You mix lustre dust with strong, clear alcohol and paint it on when the icing is dry. The paint should be on the thick side. The alchohol will evaporate.

Unfortunately you wont get a deep, shimmering gold when you mix the color into the icing, so painting or airbrushing is the only way to go.

I like the NFSC (no-fail sugar cookie) recipe for cut-out cookies. I think it has a nice taste, though it isn't overly sweet or flavorful - something I think is great for the very sweet icing that goes on top.

I know that other people really like Penny's cookie recipe, which I think tastes very similar, but has milk (I don't use that because many people in my family have lactose intolerance). There are a few more than people use too... but I'm not sure of the names.

The NSFC and Penny's recipes are on this site in the recipe section.

As far as gold... the best I've even gotten is to color my icing with the gold coloring, which really makes it sort of a a mustard yellow. then I paint on gold dust mixed with vodka, as Gefion explained.

Thank you for your replies. That was very helpfull

I used the Americolor Gold for my RI and then went back over with gold lustre dust as mentioned.